Stretch Marks ~ Skin Care

[BlissfulMai]

Hello Gorgeous Preggie Women,

I am really keen to hear how you all manage these marks and what seems to be working, or not...


I am using Palmers Cocoa Butter with Elastic, Shea Butter and Vitamin Ed every morning on my hips, bum and tum.
I have been given a lovely massage oil too with and I will have a lovely gentle rub with this in the evenings...my tum goes all soft and babe has a lovely stretch at this time.

Still...very early on I started getting these cherry coloured stretch marks on my hips, and now just recently I have started getting the silvery ones on my under-belly.

I have heard some vitamin supplements help?
What do you do to reduce the chances of stretch marks?

What do you do to heal them?

I am dedicated to minimalising these....help!!

[MamaPan]

Hi - to be honest I dont think there is a lot you can do to ensure you dont get them - but I think you are doing what is best ie keeping skin supple etc.
I personally use Palmers belly butter and also a gorgeous oil by clarins specifically for stretch marks... (they do a few so make sure it is the right one). So far I dont have any but it is early days for me!!! Good luck!

[Tracey]

I think it's basically hereditery!

My Mum had none & neither do either of my sisters or myself.

I never did anything with 1st pregnancy, with 2nd I used some small sachets that were in the Bounty bags & if I remembered I rubbed Vitamin E cream after my shower, with this preg when I remember I use one of the various flavoured Body Shop Body Butters!

But I dont think anything actually prevents them, but by maoisturising it certainly cant hurt!

[CatherineL]

BlissfulMai - Did you start using from the first trimester? I have read these creams only work if you use night and day from first trimester.

[Sair]

I have never used anything to prevent stretchmarks and I didn't get any either, I don't expect to expand too much more either. I have old super fine stretchmarks on my breasts from when I got my B cup in 6th grade so I don't know if I am really excluded from having the gene for them. Maybe it depends on how fast your skin stretches in a certain amount of time...,.

[BhoysGirl]

Sadly, I too think that they're hereditary, & if it's in your gene pool, there's not much to do to avoid them. Having said that, I'm still layering the Palmers body butter on each day, just in case it works, but also because it's a nice little massage that I can give to bubs whilst he/she is still tucked away. And I like the smell of the Palmers too.

[MumofLewis]

Apparently the skin tears below the top layer so creams can't really do alot, although it is still good to keep the top layer moisturised. Straght after a shower is best because the pores are open so the cream penetrates further down.

A friend of mine is a bodybuilder and they take lots of Vit c and vit E when they are in training because they put on and lose weight rapidly and this apparently helps stop stretchmarks. Who knows?

I didn't think I had any but have noticed a few on my hip/bum in the last few weeks. Not sure if they are new or have just been well disguised amongst my cellulite!!

[Karina]

I used Palmers cocoa butter and didnt get any at all, but I was using it all over my body even before I was pregnant. I dont know if it was the cream or just because my skin is more elastic though? Some people use Bio Oil to help fade the marks. I havent used it so i have no idea what its like.

[Ngala]

I have used every single cream and oil under the sun to try and prevent my stretch marks and nothing has helped!!

I started using the Palmers cocoa butter stuff and then went on to bio oil and then moved on to some cocoa butter bought from the body shop and now I am back to using Palmers Cocoa butter for stretch marks. Maybe its my fault that I have changed all the time, but nothing has helped and I started early in the 1st tri and covered myself in it every morning and night.

I just think I am prone to stretch marks cause I have had them on my thighs for years and also I have gained weight really really quickly in this pregnancy.

But oh well, its just what comes with some pregnancies..

[sangie]

I agree that there isn't much you can do about it and it does seem to be hereditary. Don't worry they will fade with time! I didn't have any until I got to 36 weeks and now I have a few on my lower abdomen, this was despite moisturing with palmers from day 1 lol!

[Ngala]

Oh I got them everywhere Oh well!! I shouldnt complain cause I am growing my beautiful baby girl

[ella79]

i believe that it is predominantly hereditary and there is nothing that you can do to prevent them other than keep well hydrated and try and put on weight gradually rather than in spurts. stretch marks are a result of the elastin layer of the skin "tearing" when it's over-stretched too quickly. some people have higher elastin content than others (ie. stretchier skin), so are less prone to them... i'm no skin specialist, but have read this somewhere... i don't think keeping the skin nice and supple from the outside can hurt though, so i plan to start using cocoa butter when i get a little bigger... i started using it at about 6 weeks but stopped because it was getting on all my clothes!!

[BlissfulMai]

Thanks everyone for responding.

What you all say makes a lot of sense to me!!

Seems I am doing as best I can and yes, in the sheme of things, I am producing a precious little life that is healthy and happy, a few marks really don't compare.

I know that my belly skin is sooo much softer for my efforts and far from dry.
I can also relate that it is the layer of skin below the surface that is stretching.

Anyway, i will keep doing what I am doing, and hopefully my efforts are reducing the marks and will help my belly recover after being preggy.

I wish you all the best for an easy and most enjoyable pregnancy and birth!

Such a magical time in our lives.

Much love,

Mai xx

[Maybebabie]

I use bio oil. It quite good. I got my first strech mark a couple of weeks ago at about 26 weeks. It's on my lower belly, conquencidently i had lapsed the oil use for a few days prior. So i got back into and it actually seemed to fade almost completely for a bit. I can see it again now faintly. I have heaps of strech marks on my boobs from puberty and these go up and down all the time. Some days they are purple some days they are almost invisable.

I am sure that it probably doesn't do much but it feels really good anyway. The best thing about the oil is i use it after my nightly shower and it soaks in pretty fast. With creams i usally feel clamy and hot if i try go to bed shortly after rubbbing it in.

[sportychick]

I use the Therapy massage bar from LUSH - it is great, smells divine and is good for when you're not pg too. I got no stretch marks on my belly from DD and none this time so foar either, but I have them on my boobs and thighs -go figure!

[julesr]

I hate cocoa butter, don't like the texture and I think it is hugely overrated as a moisturiser - it just doesn't suit my skin at all!

I used a cream called Happy Event from 12 weeks, on the recommendation of my mum, who used it with all 3 kids and didn't get any stretch marks. Neither did I during my pregnancy. I accept the hereditary argument but the thing is I am actually prone to stretch marks - I have some on my hips and around a scar on my back from when I put on weight during my teenage years. I guess I'll never know for sure if the cream helped but I will certainly be slathering on the Happy Event next time I am pregnant. You can get it from pharmacies for about $5.50 a tube.

[August]

My best friend had a little girl 14 weeks ago and she used wheat germ oil applied after a shower. She does not have one stretch mark on her.

[LadyRaven]

I use the stretchmark palmers if it works it works, if it doesn't well mum bought it for me so it didnt cost me anything..

Ive heard LOTS of water and vitamin c can help with skin elasticity

I think if they happen they happen no matter what we do, just the thought of itchy tight dry skin isn't too appealing though